Nyssa
The Republic of Nyssa is a Singleist (Libertarian) Presidential Republic in Southern Aredia Major. Its capital is located at Endusal. Nyssa is bordered by Seresia to the west and Rechsmark to the east. Clans: Clan Anhygoel ' '''Clan Blaiddyn ' 'Clan Dyrfald ' 'Clan Enfawr ' 'Clan Kynlyn ' 'Clan Nyrnal ' 'Clan Tarennyn ' 'Clan Vyndaysl ' Etymology The name "Nyssa," is said by Nyssan scholars to be derived from "Tyssaan," the name of a pre-Migration settlement of the Nystans, a nomadic people of eastern Dorjania who were pushed out of their steppe homeland by rival tribes and into Aredia. They eventually settled in the Carennen Mountains in Aredia's south. "Nyssa," therefore, is a heavily corrupted version of "Nyn-Tyssaan," (New Tyssaan) the corruption of which most likely resulted from the Nystan people's interbreeding with various tribes in the Carennens. Early History (Proto-Nyssan Era) From 1200 BE (Before Empire) onwards, the far eastern Dorjanian steppes were inhabited by a tribe known as the Nystans. Over time, more tribes from farther west mi grated east and settled the Nystans' homeland. Eventually, under pressure from a coalition of hostile tribes, the Nystans were pushed out of Dorjania and into Aredia Major by 860 BE. It is unclear what happened over the next hundred years, as archeological evidence of the Nystans in western Aredia is almost nonexistant, but it is known that by about 750 BE a large population of Nystans entered the Carennen mountains of southern Aredia Major. There they both mixed with and came into conflict with the various tribes there. At roughly 350 BE this period of tribal warfare in the Carennen Mountains comes to an end. The most widely accepted theory for this is that the Nystans simply interbred with the native Carennenites to a point where the two cultures and two seperate bloodlines became blended into one. Modern-day Nyssan culture continues to bear resemblences to the now-extinct cultures of the Nystans and the Carennenites. Even the very name of their people "Nyssan," roughly translates in Carennish (A now-extinct language group of the Carennen mountain tribes) to "new," prehaps signifying the existence of the new, hybrid Nyssan people, which completely replaced both the Nystans and the Carennenites by 250 BE, when the last pure bloodlines of Nystans and Carennenites are theorized to have died out. In the northern Carennen Mountains, a third ethnic group existed that did not mix at all with the Nystan newcomers. These were the Haeradians who remained a seperate and distinct group from both the Nystans and the Carennenites. When the latter two groups had inter-bred and formed the new Nyssans, the Nyssan tribes began to establish their dominance over the entire Carennen range and eventually the men of Haeriad were forced to move north to the isles. There they settled and inter-bred with the natives. This new hybrid became the modern Farish. Even today the Nyssans and Farish consider themselves part of the same (Enter NotCeltic Name Here) umbrella group. Warring Clans Era The harsh, unyielding peaks and heavily forested vales of the Carennen Mountains fostered a fierce independence among the Nyssan people from the beginning, even from themselves. Throughout the early years of this period, various Nyssan chieftans attempted to establish their dominance over other Nyssan tribes. Although a few chieftans managed to unite the Nyssan people, unified rule never lasted for more than a decade. Over time, the many Nyssan tribes were consolidated into 8 clans, which in effect were the very large dynasties of chieftans with lesser tribes organized beneath them, known as "Banner Families." The Warring Clans Era is a period filled with war, as its name suggests, and yet it is considered by most Nyssans to be the golden-age of Nyssa, and indeed during this time many great poetic works and sagas were completed against the backdrop of the snow-blasted Carennen peaks. Among the most prominent is ''Maer Korren dyr Copa ''(The Sagas of the Peaks) authored by '''Alwyn, '''considered the most brilliant Nyssan poet and scholar to have ever lived (Lived 350 YE-417 YE). It is a collection of stories and poems about the great battles and duels of the Warring Clans Era, most of which have been verified to be true, although a few were fictionalized and embriodered by Alwyn for the purpose of entertainment. These works have contributed to the rich folklore that is still found commonly in Nyssa today. Additionally, many architectiual wonders in Nyssa were constructed during this time. More Nyssans than ever also became literate during this time, despite the wars, which generally only affected the vale that each war had begun in. Inter-clan wars during this time were extremely localized. Also of note during this time is the construction of Copanranns, (Translation: Mountain Fortresses) that were constructed by each clan to guard important passes or provide homes for branches of the clan. They usually consisted of a walled castle with a small village within the walls. These were the Nyssan equivalent of towns during this time. Only in Nyssa's coastal regions would settlements of 3,000+ people be common during the Warring Clans Era. Approximately 75% of Nyssans lived in rural villages at this point, rather than walled settlements. As the Warring Clans Era progressed, the 8 clans became less concerned with conquering all of Nyssa and more concerned with preserving their independence from each other and from a new rising threat in the East: The Arcasan Empire. Despite the steady pace of Arcasan conquest moving westwards, the Nyssan clans could not unify and inter-clan warfare continued. Imperial Era Not until the Arcasan Empire was in its later years would Nyssa come under imperial domination, or indeed be bothered at all by the Arcasans, who busied themselves with their far-western conquests before ever turning their gaze to mountanious Nyssa. The cycle of violent feuding between the clans, followed by a few years of peace, followed by more war continued until 847 YE (Yndsen Era, or Imperial Era) when Imperial troops entered Nyssa with intent to absorb it into the Arcasan Empire. The extremely devout Nyssans fought fanatically agianst the Arcasans and for a few years it seemed as if the clans were on the verge of turning back the invaders. Once the Imperial armies were reinforced, however, the tide began to turn in the Empire's favor. Despite Nyssa's religious fervor, the dizorganized and fanatical mass charge so often employed agianst the Arcasans was beat back repeatedly, defeated by superior Arcasan organization, discipline, and eventually, numbers. By 857 YE the Nyssan armies had been defeated in the field, largely because of the eight clan's inability to unify against Arcas. In early 858, Arcasan forces swept into Endusal, the capital, and established Nyssa as an Imperial province. Although the Nyssan armies had been defeated, by 860 a nation-wide insurgency had been mounted against the Arcasans. This insurgency waxed and wained at various times, but it was never really put down completely by Arcas. By 900 YE, there were 28 Imperial forts located throughout Nyssa, maintained for the purpose of keeping order throughout the rebellious province. From Nyssa's very beginnings, long before Arcas invaded, most Nyssans retained a certain level of xenophobia and distrust of foreigners and foreign influences. Now that Nyssa had been conquered, a fanatical hatred of all things Arcasan sprung up in many of Nyssa's communities. As a result, Nyssa experianced a much lower rate of Arcanization than other Imperial provinces, one of the main reasons Nyssa's culture has remained mostly unchanged for some 3,500 years. Marriages between Arcasan soldiers and Nyssan women were almost nonexistant, although to this day, a very, very small percentage of Nyssa's population possess Arcasan blood. Religion was influenced even less than culture. Any temples to Arcasan gods located outside of one of the forts usually ended up in flames after a few years. Ardacism not only persisted among the Nyssan population, but religious fervor grew as Imperial rule continued. Despite several rebellions, the Nyssans were unable to regain control of their country until the Arcasan garrisons departed between 1038-1041 to defend their homeland during the last years of the Empire. To this day, the Imperial Era (Same as Yndsen Era) is remembered by most Nyssans as the darkest period of their history. The Post-Imperial Era Euphoria at the departure of the Arcasans was short-lived. The Arcasan Empire had been defeated by enormous hordes of Nomads from the steppes of Dorjania. Although the Empire had fallen, Arcas itself had not, and the hordes were turned back in the Arcasans' homeland. Rather than press on eastwards, the large majority of the Dorjanian invaders decided to turn back west to seek lands of their own in Aredia Major. While the clans reestablished themselves among their respective territories during a thirty year period of peace, the nomad hordes swept back westwards, a large branch of them, known as the Marukhati, climbed into the Carennen Mountains and attacked Nyssa in 31 AE. The heavy cavalry and packed infantry formations that constituted Nyssan military tactics at that time proved no match for the nomadic horse-archers. Within a decade Nyssa had fallen again. The Marukhati horde split and various warlords established their own khanates in Nyssa. However, their prescence in Nyssa was not to last. Barely twenty years after the establishment of the khanates, infighting broke out among the many Marukhati warlords. The Nyssans, mindful of their previous defeat, unified the clan armies into one single Nyssan army. Inter-clan warfare was willingly brought to a halt for the first time in Nyssan history. Like they had done three hundred years earlier against the Arcasans, the Nyssan clansmen waged asymmetrical warfare for thirty years. The nomads, finding little victory across Aredia Major, decided subjugating the Nyssans was more trouble than it was worth, and they retreated from the Carennen Mountains in massive droves in 92 AE. The Nyssan people had learned an important lesson. For the first time, the eight clans had united militarily and defeated a numerically superior foe. From then on, the Nyssans would fight as one in every major external conflict Nyssa was involved in, although the '''Nyssan Clan System persisted. The Nyssan victory against the Marukhati brought them a level of military confidence not seen before. In 249 AE, Nyssa went to war with Telkatia, a kingdom on its western border. The root of the four year conflict was the succession of Clan Dyrfald, in which the heiress to the clan had met a Telkatian noble and fallen in love, resulting in a marriage. Killed in a "hunting accident" just a year later, her death left a Telkatian in charge of a Nyssan clan, an event which led to war betwen the two countries. 'The Weyrtorn Period ' "War. War is like food to my people. We have always needed it to survive." -Marshal Llywon Weyrtorn in his treatise on war Sacrifice '' Clan Dyrfald and Clan Blaiddyn drew a Telkatian army, nearly 20,000 strong, into the Pass of Crows at the western extreme of the Carennens. When the Telkatians entered the pass, 15,000 men from Clans Anhygoel, Enfawr, and Kynlyn, under the leadership of Marshal Llywon Weyrtorn, ambushed the tightly packed columns of Telkatians and nearly wiped them out. Over the next three years, Nyssan armies would defeat numerically superior Telkatian forces by virtue of the Nyssan's superior training, weapons, asymmetrical tactics, and clever use of the hilly Telkatian terrain. Although the Nyssan westward advance was halted at Naitor-Ans in 251, the Nyssans, led by Marshal Weyrtorn of Clan Enfawr, moved south and took the Telkatian capital of Heltegern later that year. Waytorn's genius was really beginning to show, his only defeat suffered in his career being at Naitor-Ans. Barely nine months later, the Telkatian king was captured and the kingdom's surrender gained. Nyssa annexed all of Telkatia east of the Surenn River, roughly half the kingdom. That land was split between Clans Dyrfald, Blaiddyn, and Enfawr, because they were the three western-most clans but also because they had commited the most troops during the war. Over the next 20 years, some 250,000 Telkatians would be deported and sent across the Surenn. Many atrocities were commited by the Nyssans during this time, something that has created lasting enmity between the Nyssan majority and the small Telkatian minority that lasts to this day. From about 250 AE to 375 AE, the Nyssan clansmen expanded westwards, eastwards, and northwards into the plains against the various kingdoms and peoples that bordered them. Nyssa had previously only consisted of the Carennen Mountains and their lower piedmont regions, although the country did extend to the coast in the south. Over these 125 years, Nyssa would gain considerable tracts of land on the plains of Southern Aredia Major, land that the clansmen would never lose. This period, termed by historians as the "Weyrtorn Period," (Named for Marshal Weyrtorn) represents the only stretch of time in Nyssan history where every single clan pursued an extremely expansionist policy, something that has not happened since. The boundaries of Nyssa during this time more or less represent Nyssa's modern day borders. 'The Hidden Years This period lasting from 375-700 AE, is known as the "Hidden Years," because of the extreme isolationist policies implemented by the Nyssan clans following their years of expansion. Every clan managed to avoid becoming entangled in any foreign wars or other external disputes during this time. So complete was the refusal to involve themselves in outside matters that foreigners were not permitted to enter some Nyssan towns or Copanranns. Only trade kept alive Nyssa's tenous link with the outside world during this time. Clan warfare continued during this time, at an increased rate that threatened to break apart the newfound unity Nyssans had found in fighting the Telkatians. Clans essentially reverted to their position as sovereign nations during this time. The Unified Republic Era '''Founding Around 702 AE, Clan Vyndaysl and Clan Enfawr attempted to establish a joint colony in northern Jaynesia. However, by 706 it had become overrun with Gakayan tribesmen, and the colony failed. Clan Vyndaysl and Clan Enfawr, then the richest of the eight clans, lost everything and fell into debt. This had major repurcussions through all of Nyssa, and the entire national economy was hurt badly because of the colony's failure. In 712, Caradog Hywel, the Grandmaster of Clan Tarennyn proposed a radical new idea: What if the Nyssan clans unified into one single, albeit loose, political entity? Not a kingdom, (For none of the clans would accept one man from another clan as their overlord) but a representative republic, where the people elect representatives to pass laws and manage the government on their behalf. Hywel's letter to the other seven grandmasters stated that since Nyssa was already divided into eight de-facto independent regions, that is, the eight territories of the clans, why not create a ninth territory, containing the capital of Endusal, too be governed by the national government? Each of the eight clans would get ten representatives in the Cynulliad, along with a speaker to head the body and provide an eighty-first vote, which eliminated the risk of a legislative tie. The elected chancellor, Hywel, argued, would, indeed have to come from one of the clans, but he would possess little power. He would be elected to a three-year term and could only be re-elected once, serving for maximum of six years. Additionally, he could not veto or act without the approval of the proposed National Assembly (Cynulliad). His main purpose was to mediate debates in the Cynulliad and act as the Commander-in-Chief. Each clan would be responsible for maintaning its own military and its own budget. In practice the eight clans would retain almost complete autonomy, although some sacrifices would have to made to accomadate the national government. For example, none of the clans act as its own nation when combating major external threats. In times of war, the eight militaries of the clans would combine into one fighting force. Hywel's idea was a new innovation where Aredian government was concerned. Not since the ancient Seresian city states had national leaders been elected by popular vote. Nyssa however, was decidedly opposed to such a democratic overhaul. All but one of the Grandmasters strongly opposed Hywel's proposal, killing it before it could get off the ground. All agreed that some form of central government was required to hold the clans together, but the aristocracy was wholly and completely unwilling to give peasants and yeomen the same voice in government as themselves, and indeed, the lower classes for the most part had little of the political understanding required to make educated choices where voting was concerned. Deliberations continued at the village of Kirkconnel for weeks on end, before the Grandmasters agreed to elect the Chancellor from an aristocratic assembely of all nobles in the country. This meant that the uaisle uachtair, ''or upper nobility (the upper power echelon within each clan - the ''uachtair ''numbered no more than a few thousand across the entire country) and the ''uaisle iseal (the lower nobility, and middle echelon within each clan, numbering perhaps twenty or thirty thousand men in this period) would come together to form a Cynulliad and elect the 'high offices,' including a Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, Marshal and Treasurer. The Chancellor's tenure was capped at fifteen years, and he was limited by the fact that a simple majority vote from the Cynulliad (which at this point included as many as 50,000 men) could remove him from office. The Chancellor could remove men from any of the latter three offices but could only reccomend replacements, who needed the Cynulliad's approval. As the 'executive circle,' as those four offices came to be known, could not suffer from incompetence, the Cynulliad reconvened every two years in order to review the state of the nation and make whatever changes were neccesary. In order to place limits on the power of a single clan, it was decided that no single clan could have members in more than two out of the four offices. Finally, the Grandmasters had a system that they could all agree to without dealbreaking reservations. The first Cynulliad was called at Clonmorren in 714. A distinguished general from Clan Kynlyn, Aron Glanmor, was elected by his fellow nobles as the first Nyssan Chancellor. The Nyssan Republic was declared in the Tregaron Compact of the following year, founding documents of the republic that set down common laws for the whole country, as well as a listing of rights for the uaisle uachtair ''and the ''uaisle iseal. '' Despite being enthusiastically recieved by those nobles that supported having the clans tied together for the sake of common defense (at that time, a considerable majority), the flaws of government under the Tregaron Compact soon became glaringly obvious. Through bribes and promises to resolve disputes in their favor, any candidate could garner the support of dozens of ''uachtair ''at a time. Murders and innumerable plots became common themes of the pre-election chaos. The executive circle struggled to assert its authority over obstinate nobles who simply refused to comply with laws they disliked. Another issue was that the fifteen-year cap on a Chancellor's tenure was soon dispensed with. Robert McAllister, a mid-9th century Chancellor, proved so popular and competent that he effectively eliminated limits on how long he could his office once he obtained the Cynulliad's permission to do so. McAllister reigned for a total of twenty-nine years before his death. He even succeeded in nominating his son as his successor, but Gavin McAllister proved so incompetent that the Cynulliad tried to remove him just two years into his reign. However, McAllister had the support of Clans Anhygoel and Nyrnal (the latter of which the McAllisters were prominent members of), which opposed the vote that ''de jure ''removed him from office. A brief civil war erupted in 867 that saw the deposition of the short-lived McAllister dynasty and the election of Martin Aberfraw to the Chancellory. Within a few decades of this, the Tregaron Compact soon became more of a formality than a guiding document. Chancellors became, in effect, military dictators who held power for as long as they could maintain most of the aristocracy's support, and ruled for life if they could skillfully navigate the Cynulliad. Several chancellors made attempts to found dynasties by passing the mantle of power on to relatives or declaring themselves king. Such attempts were staunchly resisted by the aristocracy, who either moved quickly to depose the over-ambitious chancellors or defeated them in civil wars. It seems that the Nyssan nobility was content to be ruled by Oliver Cromwell-like dictators but became fiercely oppposed to any central authority when chancellors attempted to bestow kingly titles, styles or powers upon themselves, or worse, attempt to start a dynasty by passing power onto sons or younger brothers. In this way, the Cynulliad more or less retained its original right to determine the next chancellor, even as the balance of power shifted towards the executive circle. When a strong chancellor held power, the system began to work exceedingly well. The primary purpose of the republic had been, after all, to link the clans militarily in order to resist foreign invasion, no matter how intense or determined. In this sense, a strong general who could also successfully navigate the quagmire of Nyssan politics would have the entire country at his command; financial resources and ever-precious manpower. However, weak chancellors who could not be speedily removed because of clan politics tended to bog down the country's finances, divide the clans, and thus weaken Nyssan unity in times of war. Unfortunately for Nyssa, the decidedly weak Daven Marrock held the chancellory when a few bands of raiders aroused the wrath of Seresian Emperor Nicephorus IV. '''The Seresian Wars ' In 915 AE, Nyssan raiders began attacking the growing Seresian Empire across the Surenn River (The traditional boundary between the two nations) and put several Seresian towns along the Surenn to the torch. In response, the Seresian Emperor Nicephorus IV organized Seresia's eastern armies under rising star General Samatius Astyran ( A half-Nyssan) to counter the threat. Astyran would win a phyrric victory against Clans Blaiddyn and Enfawr at Tasyr Koptann in 916. Astyran continued to press eastwards and defeated Clans Vyndaysl and Dyrfald at the Battle of Syrcen. With half of Nyssa's armies defeated, Clans Tarennyn and Kynlyn managed to halt the Seresian advance at the Pass of Crows (A strategic entrance to the Nyssan mountain heartland and the site of many battles) where Astyran's heavy calvary charges were rendered suicidal against Nyssan pikemen and longbowmen. Nevertheless, with additional reinforcements from Seresia, Astyran dislodged them and won a string of victories agianst the clans. Early in 917 he entered Endusal and dissolved the Cynulliad (National Assembly) establishing Nyssa as a province of the Seresian Empire. Despite the rapid conquest of Nyssa, the nation's subjugation under Seresia would not last. From 917 to 922, constant uprisings and ambushes of Seresian patrols would hamper Seresian rule and restrict the Empire's area of total control to the southern half of Nyssa. In early 923, disaster struck for Seresia. Emperor Nicephorus IV died heirless, leaving a multitude of generals to fight for the throne. This left Seresia's conquered territories without a central authority, leading to many provincal governors to proclaim their own kingdoms. Hard pressed by Nyssan rebels and left without an Emperor, Samatius Astyran did the oppisite: He contacted the eight clans and informed them he was releasing Nyssa from the Empire. He offered Clan Nyrnal (Then the least xenophobic of the clans) his service as a general. Despite the fact that Astyran was half-Nyssan and had fought against Nyssa for years, Clan Nyrnal recognized that he was an honorable man and accepted him into Clan Nyrnal. Nyrnal's Grandmaster supposedly had an image of a bear carved into Astyran's chest with a knive as a reminder to never betray Nyssa. At this point the Cynulliad was reestablsihed and things seemed like they would return to normal in Nyssa. Astyran worked closely with the Marshals of the other seven clans and was responsible for implementing Seresian traning regimes for the training of infantry and the establishment of heavy calvary units to work in tandem with Nyssa's tranditional light calvary. In 928 a coalition of Seresian generals led by a General Constantine who had been defeated in Seresia entered Nyssa with the intent of forming kingdoms of their own. Astyran's Seresian army, supplemented by forces from Clans Vyndaysl, Anhygoel, Kynlyn and Tarennyn crushed Constantine's army at the Battle of Tyrondath, in one of the largest battles Nyssa has ever seen. Nyssan pikemen would hold their own agianst repeated charges by Seresian gatarahi (cataphracts). Astyran would win the day with a massive charge by his own gatarahi calvary forces while Nyssan light calvary would cut off the fleeing invaders with several flanking maneuvers. The resulting slaughter of invading Seresians established the use gatarahi calvary in Nyssa for the next three centuries. Astyran would wage war against rogue Seresians, Telkatian rebels, and on occasion other clans, when Clan Nyrnal came into dispute with its neighbors. By 938 he had gained the trust of most Nyssans and had established himself as one of the most successful Nyssan generals of all time. In 946, Samatius Astyran died at the age of 73, losing his life to the Silver Plague of 940-950 AE. Astyran ended the practice of drafting levies and turned Nyssa's small standing army into an elite and professional fighting force modeled after the Imperial Seresian Army, although Nyssa's enormous irregular militia forces remain the backbone of Nyssan military power to this day. A massive statue of Astyran (120 ft. high) is carved out of a mountainside near the town of Beyorn in Ard-Kynlyn. Also of note during this period is the reformation of the Nyssan navy. Admiral Georgios Kastakes, a longtime friend of Samatius Astyran, offered his services to Clan Vyndasyl after the collapse of the Seresian Empire, and went about reforming much of the Nyssan Navy as a whole. Kastakes combined Seresian and Zhouranese inventions (Seresian Fire, or greek fire, and Firepowder, used to make rather inaccurate but powerful rockets) and applied them to the obselete Nyssan navy, turning it into one of the most powerful navies in Aredia Major, although this dominance would subside by about 1150 AE. The Nyssan Republic was a success. Aside from the Seresian Wars of 916-948, as well as several Telkatian rebellions and a few land disputes with neighboring kingdoms, the now unified Nyssan people experianced a level of stability and economic prosperity not felt before. Brutal inter-clan fighting continued, but was now less common than it had been before and Grandmasters were more easily able to reach peaceful settlements through established courts. Nyssa's economy experianced explosive growth as the previously localized markets gave way to regional and national markets. By 1000 AE, Nyssa was arguably the most economically prosperous nation in Aredia Major. Not since the earlier centuries of Arcasan rule had Nyssans been so prosperous. This period of unprecedented economic success lasted until about 1200 AE, when inter-clan warfare increased sharply in frequency. This severely damaged the Nyssan economy and led to a depression that Nyssa did not truly rebound from until about 1400 AE. Most important however, was the emergence of a major religious figure during the 1230's: Martin Anfydd. 'Rise of the NAP and the Nyssanen Arnoediad (Nyssan Kin-Sundering, or Nyssan Civil War) ' Founded in an abandoned warehouse in Endusal by Darren Gwallter and Defnyn Maelyr, both dirt-poor laborers, the Anfyddiwr Party was initially composed of more secular (and usually poor) individuals that favored reforming Ardacism (Nyssa's majority religion) into being a "kinder" religion, one more inclined towards assisting the poor than dictating the warrior-culture that has always dominated Nyssan life. The NAP rapidly grew among Nyssa's poor, and by 1235 had gained some wealthy members, including eccentric merchants and nobles that provided valuable financial support. Although the NAP remained underground until the 1250's, the party gradually shifted from a movement that wanted to reform Ardacism to one that discouraged religion altogether. This policy shift eventually led to a split in 1242. Gwallter sided with the reformist faction while Maelyr aligned himself with the anti-religion faction. Most of the wealthier party members were altogether anti-religion, and so with a larger budget Maelyr was able to out-recruit his oppenents, and eventually had Gwallter killed in 1247, leaving the NAP to become utterly Anfydd, or anti-religion. By 1250 the NAP had nearly 150,000 members, and was rapidly gaining more among the clan nobility, many of whom had lost everything and felt abandoned by Ardach (chief god of Ardacism) in the worst years of the depression. In 1253 Maelyr took his party public, and the NAP participated in many local elections. Although most middle-class Nyssans remained devout, the increasingly horrific state of Nyssa's economy and the seemingly never-ending clan wars drove many to outright Anfyddism, and most Anfyddists (Atheists) joined the NAP. By 1265 membership neared eight hundred thousand people, and although the NAP did not meet with much success in elections, it continued to be a large influence in them simply because of its size and financial clout. In 1266, Maelyr died, and the NAP chairmanship passed to Meuryg Tecwyn, his political protege. Tecwyn was noticably more aggressive than Maelyr, to the point where in 1269 he decided to arm the NAP, the first step in his plan to take control of Nyssa and establish a strong central government, as well as annihilate Ardacism and make Nyssa an interventionist power . Over the next few years he used increasingly large donations from wealthy members and benefactors to supply flint-strike muskets (flintlock muskets) and massive quantities of fire-powder (gun powder) to the NAP. Tecwyn also pursued recruitment among Nyssa's military officers. Generally Nyssan soldiers tended to be among the most devout, but as the worst economic stretch of time Nyssa had ever seen dragged into its fifth decade, many soldiers, especially officers, lost faith in Ardach and many joined the NAP, providing invaluable training to Tecwyn's growing militias. The NAP made little effort to hide their growing militancy, and by Iolynn (January) 1278 it was apparant that civil war was on the horizon. Indeed just three months later, on 19th Canynna (April) Tecwyn swept into Endusal with 80,000 NAR (Nyssan Anfyddiwr Army, or Nyssan Athiest Army) soldiers and occupied it. With the other five clans having just concluded the bloody 11th major Synstall (Clan War) in Nyssa's history, Clans Blaiddyn, Anhygoel, and Kynlyn united with a combined army of 60,000 men and laid siege to Endusal in Ryr (September). Although pro-Clan forces would retake Endusal by Iolynn of 1279, the war was far from over. The First Alliance (Of Blaiddyn, Anhygoel, and Kynlyn) was utterly defeated in 1281 at Fyrfawr. Following that disaster, Clans Vyndaysl and Dyrfald, still licking their wounds after loosing so many men in the 11th Synstall, entered the war and defeated the NAR at Maru-Poynyn later that year. Maru-Poynyn, however, was a phyrrhic victory for both clans, and Clan Dyrfald, who had suffered the most, withdrew from the war. Clans Kynlyn and Anhygoel were defeated in 1282 at Gwihir, and Kynlyn, burdened by massive debt and the loss of nearly 50,000 men over three years of war, was forced to withdraw its remaining forces and exit the war. The Battle of Gwihir is notable as the last major engagement in which the heavy calvary units known as Gatarahi (Originally from Seresia) were used. Against volleys of shot from NAR musketeers, Gatarahi units (approx. 4,000 strong during the battle) were slaughtered to near annihilation, although their last-gasp charge succedded in eliminating NAR artillery during the battle, although NAR forces would go on to win the battle, albeit at great cost. From then on (In Nyssa) Gatarahi were transitioned into ceremonial and personal protection (of nobles and commanders) roles. At this point, only Clans Anhygoel, Blaiddyn, and Vyndaysl opposed the seemingly-unstoppable NAR, led by Tecwyn, with several ex-military advisers. Only Clans Enfawr and Tarennyn and Nyrnal, the three hardest hit by the most recent Synstall, remained uninvolved. That was soon to change: With the NAR once again in control of Endusal and driving Clans Anhygoel, Blaiddyn, and Vyndaysl northwards, Clans Enfawr, Tarennyn and Nyrnal united under the 2nd Alliance and combined their armies into one. As successful as the NAR campaign had been to that point, with Tecwyn's only major defeat coming at Maru-Poynyn, his battle-hardened army was slowly but surely being destroyed from the inside out. A schism between him and a coalition of wealthy NAP members over whether to press on northwards or form a pro-NAP government in the south lead to a severe strain on Tecwyn's funding from his own party. The NAR however continued to recieve limited funding from Seresia. Tecwyn's waning support among the wealthy Anfydds was supplemented by mercenaries provided by Seresia, which continued to play an increasingly greater support role in the conflict. Facing near-defeat on all fronts, the clan forces changed stratagies and switched to gueriila tactics, something the Nyssans have honed to an art form over thousands of years of war with both foreign invaders and themselves. Over the next three years, Tecwyn's army would slowly be drained of men and morale as the clan armies ambushed isolated columns of slow-moving infantry and supply trains. By early 1286, Tecwyn's army was forced to raid local villages for food, which rapidly eroded the NAR's support among the commoners. For the first time, the NAR was on the run, and without ever having fought a large pitched battle agianst the forces of the 2nd Alliance. In late 1286 Endusal was recaptured by the clans and a month later, nearly 8,000 of Tecwyn's remaining 25,000 men were slaughtered in the Battle of Gyrwhal. Three months later, in 1287, Tecwyn was killed by a stray musketball from one of his own men, and the fighting ended just days after his death. 'The Treaty of Bornyl ' With Tecwyn's death, the NAR soon collapsed, and his marshals surrendered to Syrcen Hardrys, Grandmaster of Clan Nyrnal, on the 20th of Luver. At the Bornyl Peace Talks in Hammyn (May), the NAP and its militant arm, the NAR, were both ordered disbanded. With the fighting over, the economy improved somewhat, (although Nyssa was still stuck in the throes of a horrific economic depression) and Anfyddism would see a sharp decline over the next decade, as the sudden ending of Nyssa's bloodiest and most destructive single war ever was seen by many as nothing less than the divine intervention of Ardach. When the treaty was signed, which eliminated the NAP, nearly 2,000,000 people lay dead, more than half of them civilians. Endusal was almost entirely depopulated, and the destructiveness of the war ensured Nyssa's economic depression continued for nearly forty years, until the 1330's. Nyssa would remain the poorest country in Aredia Major until 1400. '1400-1600 AE ' By 1400 AE, Nyssa had recovered from the hell of its depression and civil war, although it struggled to compete economically with its neighbors in Aredia Major. But, in 1420, with the discovery of coal in the Carennen Mountains, Nyssa's economy slowly stood up on its feet and eventually prospered. Hundreds of commerical coal mines had been established by 1460, and trade with Nyssa's neighbors increased dramatically. Nyssa could finally compete with any nation in Aredia Major. During this period, clan warfare, so detrimental during the Nyssan Civil War, almost completely stopped, although the clan system remained the backbone of Nyssan society. During the 16th century, the Nyssan population passed the 15,000,000 mark, and confidence was high in most Nyssans as the middle class continued to grow. The 1500's were for Nyssa mostly uneventful, besides the ever-present Telkatian insurgency, which during this time was waning, although it would experience explosive growth during the 17th century. '1600-1682 AE ' One of the few interuptions in what was mostly a long period of relative peace for Nyssa was a four-day border skirmish with Seresia, in 1603, which, although initially successful for Seresian forces, resulted in the failure of Seresian infantry to combat Nyssan guerilla tactics in hilly terrain, which led to a Seresian withdrawl four days into the fighting. The Seresian attack, spearheaded by armor, was mostly spurred on by the Seresian minority that lived along the Seresian-Nyssan border. Some of this minority (approx. 50%) was supportive of Seresian efforts to reintegrate those Seresians in Nyssa back into Seresia. The other half of ethnic Seresians in Nyssa (This half practiced a form of Ardacism and still does) practiced a slightly removed sect of Ardacism and spoke Nyssan as well as Seresian. This half was and is still supportive of Nyssa. This skirmish is largely the root of the current insurgency of anti-Nyssan Seresians in the region. These insurgents have in turn battled both Nyssan militia forces and pro-Nyssan Seresian militants. Both Seresian factions have clashed with Telkatian separtists as well. The Seresian separtists are widely believed to be recieving financial aid and small arms from the Sereisan government. As the Republic of Nyssa entered the modern age, it had achieved a level of stability and prosperity not seen before in its history. A wealth of news ideas and inventions continued to pour forth from Nyssa, and it seemed such prosperous times would never end. However, in 1634, a car bomb planted by Telkatian separtists killed Nyssan President Edryd Wyrann and three others, shattering the calm that had settled all around the country. Telkatian rebels fought with Nyssan security forces and militia in several cities over two weeks. Two weeks in, considerable civilian casulties had been inflicted on both sides, and Seresian Senator Eudoxia Anderika gained international praise for managing to negotiate the establishment of a humanitarian corridor through which refugees could move safely away from the conflict, and through which humanitarian supplies could flow into western Nyssa. This lasted for approximately two weeks, while the fighting raged on. TFIA fighters then attacked fleeing refugees inside the corridor, and the arrangement broke down afterwards. But the Nyssans, so skilled in asymmetrical warfare themselves, were also experts at combating it. After a month the entire rebellion was put down, at the cost of nearly 5,000 lives. From then on the clans and the national government encouraged the growth and upgrading of the Nyssan clan militias, who had long been the largest force behind Nyssan territorial integrity. In general, the 30's and 40's were a time in Nyssa where traditional beliefs and old rituals of Ardacism came to the fore again and were revived among some communities. Nyssan cultural and ethnic pride was encouraged, while that of other cultures came to be looked down upon, although the restrictions on immigrants or other religions were few. Old folk tales that had died out were also brought back to life, and countless Nyssan authors and poets wrote about Nyssan folklore or used it for inspiration in their work. By 1655, Nyssa looked more or less like a modern version of its 16th century self. Nyssa's economy experienced a small recession during the late 50's and early 60's, but had climbed out of it by 1664. Nyssa went through a 15-year boom, although the peace was again shattered in early 1681, when 17 bombings across Nyssa's western provinces killed nearly five hundred people over two days. Days later, a loose confederation of Telkatian separtist groups known as the TFIA (Telkatian Freedom and Independence Army) claimed responsibility for the attack. Nyssa's massive militia forces (Which at this point, in the worst national emergencies, could expand to as many as 5 million) were activated, and Clans Enfawr, Blaiddyn, and Dyrfald activated their Army Divisions (6th, 7th, and 8th Divisions, respectively) and a month later 30,000 Nyssan Army personnel, the 2nd Armored Regiment and nearly 50,000 Nyssan militia fighters were in Ard-Enfawr, Nyssa's western most province and home to Clan Enfawr. They were arrayed against nearly 50,000 TFIA fighters (Telkatian Separtists) who at this point possessed a fair amount of experience following their campaigns in the 1630's. The main goal of the TFIA is to either establish a breakaway Telkatian republic or join Varmark, which is notably more tolerant of Telkatians. Many TFIA leaders have looked increasingly to Varkmark for support, as Varmark and Nyssa clash dipomatically over the fate of Nyssa's small Varrish minority, most of whom wish to join Varmark Also of note during this ongoing conflict in the provinces of Ard-Enfawr, Ard-Blaiddyn, and Ard-Dyrfald respectively is the financial support provided by many wealthy Telkatians living in Varmark, which possesses a Telkatian minority somewhat larger than that of Nyssa's. TFIA seperatists have used the funds for acquiring weapons and ammunition, as well as to augument recruiting. Months later, as the Telkatian insurgency campaign continued to plague Western Nyssa, the Nyssan nation entered the year 1682 confident in its future, although many doubts remain. Culture 'Ethnology ' Nyssa is approximately 92% percent ethnic Nyssa. Telkatians make up the largest minority at 5%, Varrish make up 2%, while Seresians make up 1% and immigrants from various nations, most notably from Rechsmark and Arcas, make up the remaining 1%. Aside from immigrant populations, the Telkatian minority maintains its language and religion, largely because of ethnic strife with the majority Nyssans, which has continued on and off since the 3rd century AE when Nyssa completed the conquest of half of Telkatia. The Varrish are more split, as approximately 50% of the smaller Varrish minority has adopted Ardacism as their religion and Nyssan as their language. This 50% remains loyal to Nyssa, while the other 50% speaks Varrish and practices Donerism. The latter half has taken up arms agianst Clan Enfawr in recent years, in support of joining Varmark. 'Religion ' When it comes to religion, the numbers are largely the same. 95% percent of the population practices Ardacism, the traditional religion of Nyssa. the other 5% is split between the Telkatians, the Donerist Varrish, the Seresian-speaking ethnic Seresians, and most of the immigrant population. For full article on Ardacism, see Ardacism . Government and Politics Nyssa is a Singleist (Libertarian) presidential republic, although the eight clans of Nyssa, long the backbone of Nyssan society, hold dominance over the national government and therefore hold more power than both the Chancellor and the Cynulliad (National Assembly). The Cynulliad is made up of 81 members elected to three-year terms. Cynuls (Members of the Cynulliad) can serve up to five terms, or a maximum of fifteen years in the Cynulliad. Each clan territory (Ard) elects its ten representatives by direct popular vote every three years. Cynulliad elections typically take place a few months before the Chancellor's election, which takes place in the same year. Therefore each of the eight clans sends ten representatives to the Cynulliad, making 80 members. The remaining representative and 81st vote is the Cynulliad Speaker, who is elected alongside the Chancellor. Each clan must be represented by at least one Cynul in Endusal, meaning only one seat is actually up for grabs. Otherwise it functions as its own tiny province. bills passed by the Cynulliad do not become law, only if a clan's Elder Council (6 Clan Elders to a council plus the clan grandmaster) then passes the law itself does the bill become a law, and even then only in the clan territories where the bill was passed by that clan's Council. The Chancellor cannot veto, however he can propose legislation and he chooses the chiefs of the Navy and the Rangers (Like the CIA) which must be approved by the Cynulliad. In most cases the Cynulliad and the Chancellor cannot force their will upon the clans unless some clans agree with the national government on an issue, which is not an uncommon occurance. Chancellors are elected to three year terms and can serve a maximum of two terms, therefore each Chancellor can serve a maximum of six years in office. The Chancellor is considered the Commander in Chief, therefore the Navy (Which is fully nationalised) and the small Army (Partly nationalised) are under his jurisdiction. Each clan possesses an eigth of the Air Force and its own army, made up of irregular militia soldiers from said clan. Clans are not permitted to war with each other as they did before the formation of the Nyssan Republic. Legal disputes between two clans are usually mediated by a third clan that is geograpically distant from the disputing two. If mediation fails, then the dispute is taken to a court staffed by Cynulliad-approved judges. The clan governments administers laws for their respective Ards (Again, eight of these, one for each clan, plus the capital) and pass Ard-specific laws that carry just as much, if not more clout than approved national laws because there is no national policing force. Ards are futher divided into Cantrefs, or counties. Each Cantref has a council of 11 members that answer to the Elder Council of their clan. Militia forces are divided between those controlled directly by a clan's council and those Cantref-specific Militias that are controlled by a cantref's council. However, a clan's cantrefs will almost always follow the will of the clan. Very few exceptions exist, except perhaps among the Telkatian and Seresian minorities. In practice, Nyssa is a confederation of nominally independent clans, held together by the Cynulliad, and more than anything, an ethnic bond and the belief (demonstrated numerous times in Nyssa's history) that the clans can survive better together than apart. 'Parties and Elections ' Nyssa is unique in that it doesn't necessarily have parties at all. The Nyssan Clan System is so deeply ingrained into Nyssan society and daily life that the tiny minority of Nyssans who are against the way things have been (In the unified republic, not throughout Nyssan history, as the clans existed well before the unification) for nearly a thousand years is to small to have any real clout in politics. Since each clan is not to far from being its own independent country, politics are run in the intrest of the clan (As in what policies helps one's clan the most) rather than what ideology should govern Nyssa. Many Nyssans are actually quite liberal, but the concept of liberal vs. conservative does not exist in Nyssa. A clan vs. clan schism rather than an ideological one is much more common in Nyssan politics. This does not mean Cynuls and clan elders of the same clan do not disagree, as each clan may have many ideas about what is best for it. "Party tickets" do not exist, instead voters decide whether they support the individual candidate's views on certain issues, which certainly can differ greatly from a candidate of the same clan. Once elected to office however, Cynuls of the same clan will support each other and often vote the same way on many issues, as if they were part of the same party. This does not mean parties do not exist, however. Actually political parties do not possess nearly as much power as clans, but nonetheless several exist. Notable ones include TIP (Telkatian Independence Party, recently defunct because of ethnic strife in Western Nyssa) FSP (Free Seresians Pact) NSC (Nyssan Socialist Coalition, one of the few agianst the clan system and Nyssa's anarcho-capitalist society) NU (Nyssa United, in favor of a centralized dictatorship) and FCP (Free Clan Party, in favor of each clan splitting off to become its own nation) In the last general election, that of 1680, all of these parties combined, save the FCP, garnered just 4% of votes across Nyssa. The FCP is the only party that is actually growing and gaining support, albeit slowly, and managed to win 7% of votes in 1680. The FCP has one Cynul in the Cynulliad, a result of improved support in the 1680 general election. The FCP is thus far the only party who has managed to put a candidate in office who did not run on a clan-ticket. Clan candidates running on clan tickets won the remaining 89% percent of 1680 general election votes. Category:Nations